| This summer saw the creation of the Cincinnati | | | | schools have also welcomes the process and look to |
| Schools ' Parent Leadership Institute. The program | | | | the success of the Lexington program to justify their |
| reflects the changing role that parents play in public | | | | enthusiasm. Superintendent Rosa Blackwell argues |
| education. As Vanessa White, the Board President of | | | | that "decades of research confirm that when parents |
| the Parents for Public Schools (PPS) stated: "The | | | | are more involved, student achievement increases." |
| days of bake sales are long gone. Today, parents | | | | Cincinnati schools stand to benefit from those decades |
| need a new set of skills and knowledge if they are to | | | | of research in creating a program that clearly aligns |
| realize their full potential to impact student achievement | | | | the activities of parents and teachers in order to make |
| and drive school improvement." Organizations such as | | | | a Cincinnati public school environment that provides the |
| PPS work to align the needs of Cincinnati schools with | | | | most comprehensive program for students. |
| the resources of parents in order for both sides to | | | | Cincinnati schools are relying on a number of local and |
| work together for the benefit of children attending | | | | national partners to implement the program. In addition |
| Cincinnati schools. | | | | to the Pritchard Committee, Cincinnati schools will be |
| One of the models that the Cincinnati schools have | | | | working with the United Way and Xavier University. |
| been looking at is the Pritchard Committee of | | | | These groups hope to create Community Learning |
| Lexington, Kentucky. The Pritchard Committee | | | | Centers where parents can come for training. |
| established the Commonwealth Institute for Parent | | | | Cincinnati schools are grateful for the support from |
| Leadership and trained over 1300 parents from a | | | | business and other community partners in order to |
| variety of backgrounds in the ways that they could be | | | | fund these Community Learning Centers. Among the |
| productive in assisting the public school system. | | | | grant supporters are the KnowledegeWorks |
| Cincinnati schools have seen the success of the | | | | Foundation, the Scripps Howard Foundation and the |
| Lexington program and have worked diligently to see if | | | | Kroger Foundation. All of these groups will work in |
| such a program could have a similar positive effect on | | | | conjunction to make the program as effective as |
| parental involvement in Cincinnati schools. Ms. White is | | | | possible for Cincinnati school parents. |
| eager to see how Cincinnati schools will benefit and | | | | To start the program off, a pilot group will begin |
| expresses high hopes for the program: "Expectations | | | | working under the direction of Zakia McKinney. Ms. |
| have been raised for students and teachers, and it's | | | | McKinney has worked as an Education Director at the |
| time for parents to step up to the plate as well. This | | | | Urban League as well as an Executive Director of the |
| program will greatly enhance our ability to identify and | | | | Walnut Hills Churches. She has been active in |
| develop parent leaders who can then engage other | | | | community organizations for many years and looks |
| parents to ensure that our schools provide a quality | | | | forward to sharing her experience with Cincinnati |
| public education for all children." | | | | schools. |
| Other educational professionals in the Cincinnati | | | | |